Joe Schmidt’s expected appointment as Ireland coach could persuade Brian O’Driscoll to postpone his retirement for another year.

The Leinster star admitted he could continue beyond this summer’s Lions tour if the New Zealander replaced Declan Kidney in the coming days.

Schmidt was interviewed for the role last week and has said that talks with the IRFU were positive. And, while he said he had no input in the process, O’Driscoll backed Schmidt’s candidacy and intimated he might put off quitting to play on under the Kiwi.

“That is a factor in things for sure, but there is more to it than that. I’ll think about all the things in the summer. It will be a factor, depending on who comes in,” the former Ireland captain said.

“My opinion of Joe is pretty high. I’ve really enjoyed my last three years under him. I think I’ve learned a huge amount. I probably learned more in those three years than I did from any other coach in the previous 10, so I look forward to coming in and hearing what he has to say.

“He was one of the three candidates. Is he outstanding? I don’t really know the other guys so it would be unfair for me to comment on their qualities. But I do know his qualities and they are plentiful.”

While he was not asked for his own opinion by the union, O’Driscoll welcomed the news his predecessor as Irish skipper Keith Wood was brought in as a consultant in the process.

“It was smart from the point of view that he is in touch with the professional game, albeit he has been out of it for 10 years,” he said.

“I would speak to Woody on occasion and he still understands the nuances of the game, and how it has evolved over this last decade since his retirement.

“He is very pro-Ireland. He is certainly in no shape or form bitter about the success some of the guys managed to achieve. After he retired in 2003 we went on and managed to win a few Triple Crowns, won a Slam and there is no bitterness at all.

“He just wants Ireland to do well and that is the sort of guy you want on any committee.”

First up for Leinster is Saturday’s meeting with Biarritz in the Amlin Cup semi-final and O’Driscoll is targeting a final spot at the RDS.

The province will be without Dave Kearney after the concussion he suffered against Munster, but otherwise they have no major injury worries.

Potentially they could do the league and European double without leaving Dublin, but O’Driscoll does not want to get ahead of himself.

“Well, we will try to win our semi-final and then play out the remainder of the Rabo and see how that goes,” he said.

“But we have been guilty in the past of not being able to finish off winning trophies, of winning the double after winning the Heineken last year and we have lost three Rabo finals in a row.

“You have to get to the final of a Rabo first and foremost to try and win it and we aren’t anywhere close to that yet. It’s Europe this week, not Heineken but Amlin, but we still want to win it every bit as much.”